Gel manicures are perhaps the greatest thing to have been ever made for a nail fanatic. They are easy to apply, classy and so elegant. Perhaps the only hitch that you may face is when it comes to a proper way to take off gel nails. Gel nails are a stubborn lot and if you don’t know how to take off gel nails yourself, we suggest you either go to the beautician or read this piece thoroughly. There are many different ways to remove gel nails, but let us caution you, if you don’t do it right, you might just do some permanent damage to your nails!
[Also Read: Transparent, Arcylic, Gel or Silk Nails: Which Would You Like?]
How TO REMOVE GEL NAIL Polish
When it comes to ways to remove gel nails, there are tons of different ways you can read on the internet. But if you are a newbie, then this might take a little longer to get used to and you may even end up damaging your actual nails. So word of caution and you should tread with care. If you are very keen on knowing how to take off gel nails at home, we suggest that you follow the below instructions to the very last t. Don’t blame us later!
Here is what you will need:
- Some aluminum foil
- Acetone or nail polish remover (These can be found at drugstores and beauty supply stores)
- Cotton balls to remove the nail polish
- A High-grit buffer (such as a white block buffer which needs to be used with utmost care)
- Nail file
1. Wrapper Way To Take Off Gel Nails
Step 1: Gently start buffing or filing the top nail polish coat of your nails. This is useful because it can be used to break the seal of the gel polish. When you are filing, be very careful to only file the top of the nail. If you end up filing too deep, then it will end up roughing up the nailbed.
Step 2: Soak a cotton ball in acetone or nail polish remover and place it on the fingernail. Also keep in mind the fact that acetone is actually quite harmful for the nails and if you regularly use acetone for your nails, you will start noticing a yellowish stain to them. So to avoid this, use nail polish remover that does not have too much acetone.
[Also Read: Gel Manicure: What’s All The Hype About]
Step 3: Take some aluminum foil and cut them into squares. These should be large enough to be wrapped around each nail. Now wrap a foil square around each nail with the cotton ball soaked in acetone and let them be on top of your nails for at least 15 minutes. It is best to use aluminum foil instead of other materials like plastic because plastic has a tendency to melt with the acetone.
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Step 4: Now slowly remove the cotton balls and the foil. You will see that the gel polish is now very easy to flake off. Make sure that you don’t scratch away any residual nail polish. You may damage your nails if you do that. Simply repeat the aluminum and cotton ball process again to remove the remaining nail polish.
Step 5: In order to remove the remaining gel polish or the clear underlayer, use the high-grit buffer. This is the last step to remove your gel nails.
2. Soaking Way to Remove Gel Nails
This is a very time-consuming technique and is opted when you don’t have foils or cotton balls handy.
Step 1: Take two bowls, one smaller than the other.
Step 2: Fill the bigger bowl with warm water and place the smaller bowl inside the larger one.
Step 3: In the smaller bowl, pour some acetone.
Step 4: Since acetone is highly flammable, this is the safest way to warm the chemical.
Step 5: Use a buffer to gently buff the top coat of the nail
Step 6: Now soak the nails in acetone and let the gels loosen on the nails
Step 7: Use an orange stick to gently loosen the gel on every nail until it falls off
Step 8: Lastly, use a hand cream and cuticle oil to moisturize the nails.
Here are a few things to remember while following any one of the above mentioned procedures:
- Coat the skin surrounding the nails with a cuticle oil or thick cream which will protect the skin from dryness.
- The wooden sticks that you use to pull off the nail polish layer should be discarded after use.
Soak the nails in coconut oil for 5-7 minutes and follow it up with a cuticle oil to leave them well moisturized.
So that’s all you need to know in order to remove gel nails properly! Follow these instructions for a hassle free gel nail removal process!
Images Source: ibht.ie, likeasaturday.com, pinterest
